How Workers Died Last Week: Six public employees killed, not including four fire and police officials. Also, forklift, drowning, highway construction, firefighting, explosion, lightning, cancer, vehicle incidents and shootings. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. More than 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died. The few narratives below (gathered from almost 100 Google News searches) do not come close to capturing the full toll that work takes on the working people of this country. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day. Why We Write The Weekly Toll
Tragic Accident Claims New Port Richey Employee’s Life
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – A City of New Port Richey Public Works employee, Gary Greger, has been identified as the victim in a tragic industrial accident that occurred Monday. Another employee, Emanuel Garcia, was injured but has since been released from the hospital. The incident took place on Monday afternoon at a city-owned lift station near the intersection of Bandura Avenue and Ashmore Drive. According to a statement released by City Manager Debbie Manns, both Greger and Garcia were involved. “Despite the heroic efforts of Emanuel, our NPR Fire Department personnel and Pasco County Fire Rescue, Gary did not survive,” Manns’ statement read. Greger, a Utilities Mechanic III, had been a City of New Port Richey employee since rejoining the city in September 2024. He had previously worked for the city from August 2022 to June 2023. He is survived by his daughter and his fiancée. His daughter, Cassidy Greger, was told that her father was down in the well of the lift station when the accident happened and that an electric shock was the main culprit, but an autopsy still needs to be done.
University of Alabama Employee Dies Monday,
Tuscaloosa, AL — A University of Alabama employee died while operating lawn equipment on Monday morning, and police do not initially suspect foul play was involved. Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, confirmed that they are working on what appears to have been a medical emergency. Kennedy said reports of a man found dead came in around 9:00 a.m. and drew a large police presence to Pinehurt Drive just off the University of Alabama Strip. Their investigation shows a University of Alabama employee died while operating lawn equipment and there are no signs of any criminal act or other “foul play.”
Joseph City employee dies from factory accident
Joseph City, AZ — A Hashknife Solar Energy employee died Sept. 13 after being caught in an auger used to drill materials while at the Joseph City factory days before. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office responded after the accident took place the morning of Sept. 9, and found the victim with severe injuries. The victim was breathing but unresponsive. Emergency personnel from Guardian Air, Holbrook EMS and Joseph City Fire responded and performed emergency medical procedures, stabilizing the victim. The victim was then transported to a medical facility, where he later died. No foul play is suspected.
Idaho Falls investigating the death of city worker
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—An Idaho Falls city worker died while they were on duty. City spokesperson Kimberly Felker stated that emergency responders were dispatched to the Idaho Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant on Saturday morning for a drowning. The city isn’t releasing any specifics of where the death happened, but Felker says there is no sign of foul play. According to the Bonneville County Coroner’s office, his name is Frank Roger, 67. He died at the Idaho Falls Sewage Treatment facility at 4055 Glen Koester Lane in Idaho Falls.
Bay Area UPS employee, mother of 5 dies on the job after packages fall on her
RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) — A UPS employee was killed in an accident at a UPS facility in Richmond. It happened on Sunday when Richmond police responded to reports of an industrial accident at a packaging facility on Atlas Road around 4:16 p.m. The family of Shelma Reyna say she was killed on the job by a machine malfunction. Richmond PD’s preliminary investigation show the employee was loading packages into a cargo trailer when several packages fell onto them. Police say the employee was alone inside the trailer at the time. A co-worker later discovered the injured employee and immediately called for emergency responders. Despite life-saving efforts by first responders, the victim succumbed to their injuries and died at the scene, police said. Reyna leaves behind five children.
Wisconsin truck driver killed in wreck on I-65 in Morgan Co.
MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF) – A man was killed in a crash along I-65 in Morgan County on Tuesday. Authorities said the wreck involved an 18-wheeler that went off the road and caught fire. The semi-driver, identified as 69-year-old Hassan Nikoo of Wisconsin, died.
Contract construction worker dies while working at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Vanderbilt University Medical Center has confirmed to WSMV4 that a contract construction worker died on Monday. VUMC reports that healthcare professionals responded to the worker to provide medical assistance, but the worker died. Other than confirming the cause of death as natural, VUMC did not reveal how the worker died.
Fiery Ambulance, Car Crash Claims EMS Crew, Civilian in Chesapeake, VA
Chesapeake, VA — A fiery wrong-way head-on crash involving an ambulance and a car has claimed the lives of EMS crew members and a civilian. The ambulance — owned by Midwest Medical in North Carolina — was southbound on I-464 in Chesapeake when it was struck by a 2022 Lexus headed the wrong way. Upon impact, both vehicles caught fire, WAVY reported. The driver of the ambulance, Skye A. Oraczewski, 22, and his passenger, Stephen M. Anderson, 53, were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. They died of their injuries. Shakena Shamae Taylor-Pannell, 39, who was driving the Lexus, died at the scene. Virginia State Police are investigating to determine if alcohol was involved in the crash.
Explosion at cooking oil plant in Shively kills 1 person, prompts investigation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A person died in an explosion at a plant in Shively over the weekend. The Louisville and Shively fire departments were called to a fire alarm in the 2500 block of 7th Street Road, a business called AAK Inc., at 12:39 p.m. Sunday, Shively Fire Chief Charles Mucker said. Fire crews arrived and found no visible fire, but plant employees led firefighters to the area where an explosion happened from a hydrogen tank conversion process. “They use a lot of hydrogen to convert their oils into usable products, and the explosion was in dealing with the hydrogen,” Chief Mucker told WDRB News. Mucker said firefighters found one person dead from the explosion. He said the fire was contained to outside of the building. According to the plant’s website, AAK produces plant-based oils and fats. “It can be scary sometimes,” said Linett Brown, who works across the street and has been subject to rotten smells coming from the plant. Brown said she’s witnessed emergency crews respond to AAK multiple times. I have experienced fire trucks going back and forth because of an issue with the company here,” she said. “Something needs to be addressed very soon because I don’t like living like this. I know the people around here don’t like living like this. Something has to be done about it.” Her colleague, Aleena Adams, added, “It’s really sad because I think it’s been brought to the attention of them for a really, really long time that they need to do something. The fact that somebody did pass away is absolutely terrible.”
Colorado firefighter credited with rescuing another firefighter dies of work-related cancer
Arvada, CO — An Arvada firefighter and EMT has died as a result of cancer related to his work, according to fire department officials. His passing is being considered a line-of-duty death, as the department says the cancer was connected to burn injuries he sustained after rescuing a fellow firefighter. Kevin “KJ” Jacovetta died on Friday, the Arvada Fire Protection District said in a statement on Monday. He joined the department as a volunteer in 1988 and became a full-time firefighter in 1999. In 2011, Jacovetta was severely burned while rescuing another firefighter from a house fire, for which he earned the Medal of Valor. After recovering from his injuries, he returned to duty, but complications from those injuries led to his retirement in 2021 and his cancer diagnosis in 2023. Jacovetta and another firefighter, Chris Paine, sustained second- and third-degree burns in that fire.
Worker killed in incident at I-35W construction zone in Burnsville
Burnsville, MN — A worker was killed in a collision with a boom truck in the MnDOT construction zone on Interstate 35W in Burnsville on Wednesday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol has confirmed it was called around 9 a.m. to the construction on southbound I-35W and Hwy. 13 in Burnsville. “Preliminary investigation indicates a contractor was on foot when he was struck and killed by a construction vehicle with a boom attachment,” the state patrol said. “There were no other vehicles involved, and this incident took place completely within the construction zone on the highway.”
Worker fatally struck inside I-94 construction zone in Maple Grove
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — A worker was hit and killed Thursday afternoon while working on the I-94 project in Maple Grove. The man’s death comes a day after a worker was killed in another construction zone on I-35W in Burnsville on Wednesday. According to the State Patrol, the contract worker was on foot inside a closed construction zone off the eastbound lanes when he was struck by a dump truck just before 2 p.m. A State Patrol spokesman said the worker died on the scene. In an incident summary shared Thursday night, the State Patrol said the dump truck was backing up when it hit the man. The State Patrol identified the victim as 25-year-old Adam Frederick Smith of Seymour, Wisconsin. The person driving the dump truck was a 57-year-old man from Florida. Investigators say there is no indication alcohol was involved in the fatal incident.
Lightning strike kills Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee
Kewaskum, WI — A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee died from a lightning strike in Kewaskum earlier this week, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sept. 25 news release. Authorities began searching for Adam Zirbel, 48, on the evening of Monday, Sept. 22 after he did not return from working in the New Fane Trail area for the day. Zirbel, who was from Plymouth, worked as a forester for the DNR. Officials found Zirbel’s vehicle in Fond du Lac County and then continued the search to the border between Washington and Fond du Lac counties. At 7:40 p.m., they found him dead in a wooded area in Kewaskum, the sheriff’s office said. A lightning strike had been documented in the area at 10:15 that morning. On average, the United States sees only about 20 deaths a year from lightning strikes, according to the news release. “Although extremely rare, this case illustrates the need to take the threat of lightning and the dangers it poses seriously,” the sheriff’s office said.
Worker crushed to death at Baldwin construction site, police say
Baldwin, NY — A 56-year-old worker was killed on Wednesday when he was crushed between a tractor trailer and a forklift in Baldwin, Nassau police said. The worker, who was not identified by police, was unloading pallets of building material about 4:40 p.m. at a Grand Avenue construction site when the accident took place, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor, police said. The Town of Hempstead confirmed the accident occurred at a construction site for a new four-story, 54-unit apartment building being built as part of the Baldwin Downtown Revitalization Project.
Worker Killed in Construction Accident at Glen Crossing Plaza Along Oswego Road in Town of Clay
TOWN OF CLAY, NEW YORK – A man has tragically died in a Town of Clay workplace accident at the Glenn Crossing Plaza along Oswego Road. Clay officials are saying that the accident took place around 5:00 p.m. on Friday. A man was working as part of a construction crew doing asphalt work. For undetermined reasons, he was run over by a double drum ride-on roller. Paramedics were called to the scene of the accident to help the victim. Sadly, he later died due to the severe nature of his injuries. A full investigation into the accident remains ongoing at this time.
Indiana man dies in Clark County skid steer accident
DENNISON, Ill. (WCIA) — A man from West Terre Haute, Indiana died Thursday after being entrapped in a skid steer that overturned in Clark County. At 9:35 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a rural Dennison address to assist the Marshall Fire Protection District with an incident involving a person trapped in a skid steer that had overturned. Upon arrival, it was determined that the sole occupant, Kim Kesler, had died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. Other agencies that assisted on scene included Clark County Ambulance, Clark County IL E-911 and the Clark County Coroner. WCIA reached out to the Sheriff’s Office for more details, and they said there is no further information available at this time.
Turlock Irrigation District worker dies in apparent drowning at Don Pedro Reservoir
Turlock, CA — Turlock Irrigation District confirmed Wednesday that an employee apparently drowned while on duty at Don Pedro Reservoir earlier this month. Mitchell Rogers, 62, was an employee of the Don Pedro Recreation Agency at the reservoir in Tuolumne County, some 45 miles east of Modesto. The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office reported that Rogers had disappeared in the water near Moccasin Point. Deputies responded around 11:40 a.m. Sept. 14. Mitchell was swimming to bring a rope to a boat drifting in the reservoir. Witnesses reportedly directed deputies to the location where Rogers had gone underwater. A dive team searched the area and recovered his body.
Man dies after ending up pinned between arms, body of forklift while moving rocks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man died Wednesday morning after he ended up pinned between the arms and body of a forklift while moving rocks, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said. According to JSO, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Philips Highway when the man, who worked for an “operating business” that required moving equipment, was transporting a pallet of rocks. “During the transportation, something occurred pinning him between the arms and body of the forklift,” police said. The man died at the scene, JSO said. Police said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified, although no foul play is suspected. A News4JAX photographer who went to the scene and spoke with people nearby learned that Alpha Natural Stones had been blocked off as the investigation was underway.
‘Heartbroken’: Worker killed in Avon industrial accident identified
Avon, MA — The victim of the fatal industrial accident in Avon Tuesday, Sept. 23, has been identified as David Morais, 28, of West Roxbury, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey’s office said in a statement Wednesday. The accident occurred at Materia Millwork at 254 Bodwell St. at approximately 2:56 p.m. Tuesday. Morais was moving a stack of plywood when he suffered a fatal head injury, according to Morrissey and and Avon Police Chief Jeffrey J. Bukunt. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Concrete Truck Driver Killed in Tipover
Cleona, PA — David Rittle Jr. died when the concrete truck he was driving tipped over in Cleona, Pennsylvania. The crash also destroyed a “historic” barn, according to a report on WGAL. A report by Lancaster Farming cited police who said the driver was “likely going too fast” and lost control of the truck. Rittle was “partially ejected” from the truck and died at the hospital. The impact damaged the barn, built in 1901, so badly it had to be torn down. The truck also damaged an electric pole, causing some wires to spark and start a grass fire. The farm’s owner was able to put out the fire before it spread.
Dump truck driver killed in fiery crash in Sumter County
Sumter County, FL — A dump truck driver has died as the result of a fiery crash early Thursday morning in Sumter County. the sand-filled dump tractor-trailer driven by a 62-year-old Tampa man, was traveling westbound on County Road 48 at Beville’s Corner at 4:44 a.m. when he made a wide right turn to travel northbound on State Road 471 and the tractor portion of the vehicle struck a Rooms-To-Go tractor-trailer, driven by a 41-year-old Lakeland man, who was traveling south on State Road 471, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The two large vehicles collided early Thursday morning in Sumter County. Upon impact, both vehicles caught fire. The Rooms-To-Go driver was able to escape the vehicle with minor injury while the Tampa man was unable to do so and suffered fatal injuries at the scene of the crash.
Idaho firefighter dies after being struck by a tree during prescribed burn
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho — An Idaho Department of Lands firefighter died Friday after being struck by a falling tree while working on a prescribed fire in northern Idaho. Isabella Oscarson, a seasonal employee from Minnesota, was assisting with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. According to the Idaho Department of Lands, she was evacuated after being injured and flown to Grangeville, where she later died.
Morton Williams Worker Dies After Confronting Shoplifter
New York, NY — Morton Williams staff turned away shoppers on Saturday morning after the fatal incident on Friday evening. An employee,Leobardo Hernandez who tried to stop a shoplifter was assaulted inside the store, according to a worker who spoke with W42ST by phone on Saturday afternoon. “He tried to stop someone from stealing, and there was a scuffle. He was taken to the hospital, but he didn’t make it,” the worker who did not give their name said. Police confirmed on Saturday evening that the victim was a 64-year-old man who was assaulted inside the supermarket around 9:20pm Friday. They said that he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
1 killed, 2 hospitalized with critical injuries after firetruck crashes in southwest Minnesota
Wood Lake, MN — Condolences are pouring into the Wood Lake Fire Department’s social media, after a firetruck crash that left one man dead, and two others, including a 6-year-old boy, critically injured. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office says the crash was first reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. Friday along 490th Street near 160th Avenue. First responders arrived at the scene and found that a Wood Lake firetruck was flipped onto its side in the ditch. A 43-year-old passenger ended up trapped under the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office has since identified him as Patrick Steven Remiger, of Wood Lake.
Aurora Truck Driver Killed in I-10 Crash Near UTEP
El Paso, TX — A tragic incident unfolded early yesterday morning when a truck driver was killed in a crash along I-10 near UTEP. According to KTSM, the victim was identified as 37-year-old Mohamed Ali Mumin from Aurora, Colorado. Police reported that at around 1:30 a.m., his semi-truck drifted for unknown reasons onto the shoulder and struck the guardrail before colliding with a cement pillar of the Spur 1966 overpass.
Eastern State Hospital employee shot, killed in parking lot before deputy kills suspect
Spokane, WA — A man shot and killed an Eastern State Hospital employee in the hospital’s parking lot before a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed the suspect early Saturday morning, according to the sheriff’s office. The shooter, who made statements about aliens and an army coming, may have been involved in a brush fire and shots fired inside a Medical Lake home leading up to the fatal shooting, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Firefighters responded shortly after midnight to a brush fire in the 200 block of state Route 902, according to the release. A caller reported talking to a man who made statements mentioning aliens. Firefighters asked deputies to respond because of a man who was yelling and acting aggressively, but the man left before deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said. Around 1:40 a.m., a caller reported a man with a rifle was at a home near West Idaho Street and South Lake Drive, about 1 mile from Harvest Foods. The suspect entered the home and fired several shots as the occupants inside hid for safety, the sheriff’s office said. No one was injured. The suspect’s location was unknown, but deputies then reported hearing shots to the west across the lake. At 1:54 a.m., an Eastern State Hospital employee reported a staff member was shot and possibly dead in the parking lot, about 1½ miles from the home on Idaho Street and Lake Drive. The suspect took the victim’s radio and began transmitting statements about an army coming, according to the release. Deputies arrived, and within a couple minutes, a deputy encountered the suspected shooter and exchanged fire. The suspect was located near the vehicle he was believed to have arrived in and declared dead, the sheriff’s office said.
Tanker semi, road grader crash leaves at least 1 dead in western Minnesota
Wilkin County, MN — The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal crash in Wilkin County on Thursday evening. According to the state patrol, a tanker semi and a John Deere Road Grader were driving southbound on County Road 3 when they crashed, ending up in the southeast corner of the ditch. The road grader landed on its roof while the tanker semi was on its wheels, according to the state patrol. Law enforcement classified the crash as fatal; however, they did not specify who died.
Kansas police officer dies after being shot while responding to domestic violence call
Hays, KS — The Hays, Kansas, police officer who was fatally shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call over the weekend has been identified as Sgt. Scott Heimann. Heimann, 32, died at a hospital after he was shot by a man who had barricaded himself at a house in the 2200 block of Downing St. The shooter, 34-year-old Zane Wickham of Hays, was later found dead in the home from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.